Apple Signs Deal With Volkswagen for Driverless Cars

According to the New York Times, Apple has finally found a partner to build driverless cars for them. Sources say that BMW and Mercedes-Benz had previously turned them down because Apple wanted the carmakers to turn over control of the data and design. However, they are moving on to Plan C and will work with Volkswagen instead. The vehicle used will be the new T6 Transporter van and they will become autonomous shuttles for Apple employees. Apple isn't commenting on this, which is no surprise, so we'll have to just wait and see if these vans appear on the roads.

Late last year, Apple found that partner in Volkswagen. Buffeted by a scandal around cheating emissions tests — and lagging some rivals in development of self-driving cars — Volkswagen jumped at the chance to work with Apple, former Apple employees said. Volkswagen’s code-name at Apple is Jetstream, one of them said.

Wonder if Apple can help them hide their emissions cheating better? At the very least it will be good to have the Apple brand take some of the blame on any future scandals, especially if those scandals are cars running people down.

Now that I think about it. Apple could put some code into the system so that the navigation cameras recognizes being inside a garage, and runs with a cleaner burning fuel/timing map.